Kanpur: A sharp difference between day and night temperatures, coupled with deteriorating air quality, is causing health problems among residents, with cases of colds, coryza and dust allergies reportedly rising across the city.While days remain warm, nights have turned relatively cold, with the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures exceeding 15 degrees Celsius. Dust and pollutants in the lower atmosphere are further aggravating allergy-related problems, prompting people to seek medical advice at hospitals and clinics.On Saturday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 32.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 17 degrees Celsius at the Chandra Shekhar Azad (CSA) weather observatory. The maximum relative humidity stood at 58%, while north-westerly winds blew at a speed of 1.5 kmph.According to IMD, north-westerly winds are likely to continue over the coming days, reducing humidity and making the weather dry. The arrival of moisture may lead to some high-altitude clouds, but sunny conditions are expected to keep daytime temperatures warm. Fluctuations in day and night temperatures are likely to persist.Meanwhile, deteriorating air quality has emerged as another cause for concern. Kanpur’s air quality index (AQI) has fluctuated between the poor and severe categories, with readings varying across monitoring stations and localities. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10) remain major pollutants, along with carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide.CSA weather expert S N Sunil Pandey said air pollution could worsen further during the last week of October, with the AQI likely to range between 150 and 270 or higher.The combination of worsening air quality and temperature fluctuations could aggravate respiratory discomfort and allergy-related problems among residents.
